Farm unions call for protests against land pooling policy

The state government seems to be getting into more trouble each day, with various farmer organisations announcing a series of protests against its land pooling policy.

While the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have already announced they will hold tractor marches on the issue on July 30, SKM (Non-political) members held a meeting at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall here, where they declared that they will hold demonstrations against the state government at all district headquarters on August 8.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Union, Bharatiya Kisan Ekta Haryana, Sher-e-Punjab Kisan Union, Kisan Naujawan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, Bharatiya Kisan Union Majhail and Bharatiya Kisan Union Khosa. The leaders strongly opposed the land pooling policy, alleging that it was aimed at acquiring 65,533 acres of fertile land from farmers. “The government is under massive debt. We believe that it shall acquire our land and mortgage it to repay the debts. We do not need urbanisation. There is no such demand in Punjab. The government has changed its policy thrice in a month, this implies that it had done shoddy work,” said Gursewak Singh of BKU Majhail.

There are more demonstrations planned by the farmers. The KMM will take out motorcycle processions on August 11. It shall also hold a rally outside the office of the Jalandhar Development Authority on August 20. Protests have already started at Mahalon village in Nawanshahr where Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority has plans to acquire 383 acres of land. Congress MLA Pargat Singh had led a protest at Kukad Pind two weeks ago against the government plans to acquire 1,000 acres of land. The farmers of villages around the area have already started confronting AAP workers trying to publicise the scheme. On Thursday evening, they had burnt the publicity material brought by AAP workers.

In Hoshiarpur, BKU Doaba leader Manjit S Rai has been leading the farmers against the scheme in his native Pur Hiran village. “The government plans to acquire 300 acres of land in my village and we will not give an inch. I will not even let AAP workers or government officials step into my village”, he said.

Punjab